Locket construction



1940- L. C. MARK I 2,185,641

LOCKET CONSTRUCTION Fi led Dec. 17, 1938 I BY ,Z A

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1940 1 LOGKET. CONSTRUCTION Louis 'C.'Mark,Providence, R. 1., assignortd New EnglandGlass-Works, a partnership consisting of Isaac L Rice and Alexander-"Women doing business in Rhodelsland j Application'Decemben 17, 1938, Serial No. 246,394

4 "Claims.

.My' present invention. relates .to .the jewelry 1 .art, andhasparticular reference to a' lccketconstruction having.- a pluralityof ornament .compartments. 5 .It is the principal .objecteof .my ,inventionto .providea locketof. simple constructionin which a pluralityof ornamental objects .or. photographs maybe :placed.

..l't is anadditionalobject ofmy inventionto I provide .a .=locket whichds .easy to manipulate and to open zand .Which remains opennntil closed.

Another object of my invention is:.to provide a locket havingthe abovei advantages. which. has a assembled '.parts.

With the above and other objects and other advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conli unction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a locket embodying my invention, the parts being closed;

' Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1', the compartments being open;

' Fig. 4 is a plan view of the base member;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the inner unit; Fig. 6 is a section taken along line li6 on Fig.

1; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken along line 'l--1 on Fig. 1.

Conventional pendants and lockets are usually made as thin as possible and are, because of said thinness, extremely difficult to open. The locket of the present invention is designed to provide a plurality of ornament receiving portions adapted to nest together, and to provide a simple and easy arrangement for opening said locket and for latching the parts in closed relation.

45 Referring in detail to the drawing illustrating my invention, the locket l0 generally comprises a base H having 'a hinge cover l2, and housing an auxiliary unit I3 comprising a central portion 14 and two side cover portions I5 55 base II is provided at its upper edge with an minimum number of readily manufacturedaand and I6 respectively. The base II may be of anyv integral lug ll havinga suitableopening therein for attaching av neck chain or the like. Directly belowhthe lug. l'l. isan'. integral eye l8 in which a rectangular latch member Iii is loosely mount- 'Th'effaceof.the-base ll, see Fig. '7, is, provided with an integralv annular rim 2t, and. a split rib 2M forrpositioning thecentral unit, the lower end of the'rim it being. provided with integral spaced lugs 2i positioned opposite the latch mem bar it and forming a journal opening for the ,pivotal mounting of..the.cover 22. The cover 22 .is rimmed to provide .a receptacle for a photo- }graph or other-ornament. and is of sufficient size .to bridge the opening formedby the annular rim 3.20,. the .upper ..end .of the..cover.having. an integral upturned lug 23 forming a catch element for releasable engagement with the latch member 19. provided with an integral upstanding detent 24 for securing the auxiliary unit thereto, as hereinafter described.

The auxiliary unit shown in Fig. 5 has its central cup-shape portion M of smaller diameter than the annular rib a so that it will fit snugly within the base I]. The portion [4 has a central opening 25 to receive the detent 24, which is swaged to lock the parts together, and has seating lugs 25 struck from the right side thereof. The side wing portions. I5 and [6 are dished to receive photos or ornaments, and are hinged to the central portion [4 by means of conventional spring hinges 21 and 28 which urge them to open position, the hinges fitting between the split portions 21a and 28aof the rib 20a. The portion. I5, to the left, is of slightly smaller diameter than the portion l6 and is adapted to fit within the rim of the central portion. M, the edge thereof resting on the lugs 26. The portion IE, to the right, is provided with an integral finger tab 29. When the auxiliary portion is closed, the wing portion !5 is folded within the central portion I! with its edge resting on the lugs 26 to space it from the bottom and then the wing portion N5, of slightly greater diameter, is folded over the wing portion I5, the finger tab 29 resting on the hinge 21. The cover 22 is then turned up over the closed auxilary unit and latched as shown in Fig. 6 by pulling the rectangular latch member I9 over the catch 23 on the cover 22. When the latch member [9 is lifted, the hinge springs press the wing portions outwardly and force the cover I2 to open position as shown in Fig. 3.

It can thus be readily seen that the locket of The center of the base H is preferably the present invention is economical to manufacture and to assemble and provides a plurality of ornament receiving portions which open up for inspection when the latch is released from the catch. A spring-pressed catch and latch arrangement may be used, if desired, and an auxiliary releasable lock may be provided to hold the two wing sections in closed, nested relation; or additional photos or ornament disks may be swivelled to the wing portions adjacent the edges thereof, such and other modifications being Within the skill of a jewelry designer. The ornament receiving portions may be fiat, or slightly rimmed,

to receive a photograph or other insert; or, if preferred, said portions may have a rim with detents to permit snapping engagement of a photograph or ornament carrying disk or disks therein. The invention may be applied to pendants of all types, Watch fobs, brooches, pins, and other articles of jewelry.

While I have described a specific constructional embodiment of my invention, and a specific method for assembly, it is obvious that these are merely illustrative, and that changes in the size and shape of the parts, in their relative arrangement and method of assembly, and in the materials used and the ornamentation applied, may be made to suit the requirements for different articles of jewelry, without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article of jewelry, a cast metal base having a recess, a cover hinged thereto, latch and catch mechanism for releasably retaining said cover in closed position on said base, and an auxiliary unit having a center portion locked in said base recess, two wing portions hinged tosaid center portions, said wing portions being resiliently urged to open position.

2. In an article of jewelry, a base, a cover hinged thereto, latch and catch mechanism for releasably retaining said cover in closed position on said base, and an auxiliary unit having a center portion and two wing portions hinged thereto, said wing portions being resiliently urged to open position, said center portion having an opening and said base having a detent projecting through said opening and swaged to lock said unit to said base.

3. In an article of jewelry, a base, a cover hinged thereto, latch and catch mechanism comprising a catch lug on said cover and a latch hinged to said base for releasably retaining said cover in closed position on said base, and an auxiliary unit having a center portion and twowing portions hinged thereto, said wing portions being resiliently urged to open position, said center portion having an'opening and said base having a detent projecting through said opening and to, said wing portions being resiliently urged to open position, said center portion having an opening and said base having a detent projecting through said'opening and swaged to lock said unit to said base.

LOUIS C. MARK. 

